


Your Sparks

by tmo



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Electricity, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-30
Updated: 2014-06-30
Packaged: 2018-02-06 19:54:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1870347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmo/pseuds/tmo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kakashi is cursed and Iruka wants to help but things might get complicated.</p><p><b>Contains (Highlight to view):</b> <span class="spoiler">A bit of blood, some death/violence and about no sexual activities. Also, this AU is set in a world that I was imagining would be similar to maybe an advanced medieval society of some sort (I was watching Attack On Titan when I was writing this, forgive me).</span></p><p><b>Prompt/Scenario:</b> #29 by houkouonchi : For some reason or another Kakashi has been cursed and lives alone out in the forest alone serving out his punishment. Iruka, who is the best young hunter in the village, encounters him one day while he's out in the forest and against his better judgement decides to help Kakashi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Your Sparks

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to all of you for reading. Even though I had some editing issues, trying-out-new-things issues and all that jazz, I had a lot of fun writing this up since it was my first and most worked-on for this fest and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. A big thank-you as well to the amazing mods for planning this fest and being so patient and to all you readers and betas for everything else.

Stars were shining out brightly above him, the sky sprinkled with little specks of light similar to that of the moon; the moon that was covered by clouds and almost impossible to see. He'd been standing by the river when it happened, when the light breached the sky and violently struck the earth. It had been the purest of whites, surrounded by layers of blue and grey that flashed just as brightly. The whole bolt stretched high up into the sky until it met with more stretches of light, morphing into what looked like a giant figure. His eyes burned and he finally went blind when he made visual contact with the eye of the light that pulsed with red and grey. His whole world went white and pulsing before the light suddenly vanished. It was barely a breath later when he was thrown back, flung away as an ear-piercing thunder clap slapped the ground.

Iruka hit the ground hard, head cracking against the ground with a sharp smack that was drowned out in echoes of thunder, and he blacked out.

~X~

He was seeing stars. But not the normal ones.

"Wha..?"

Kakashi groaned and was about to turn over in his bed but realized a few facts first. The first one was that he was not in his bed. The second was that there was a breeze and the third was that he was upside down.

With the blood rushing to his head, he could barely keep himself conscious but he was able to make out the grass and dandelions below him and the tree a few feet away. As he craned his neck around slowly, he could see the noon sun peeking through the trees and the little mosquitoes coming towards his face. Attempting to swat at them, he realize the rope around one of his ankles and frowned as he swatted at a bug near his ear. Wiping his face, he tried to swing himself up and maybe untie the rope around his ankle but fell short by a mere inch.

Swinging back down, he sighed in frustration and hoped for a way out of this before the owner of the trap showed-

"Kakashi?"

Oh no.

"Kakashi Hatake?"

Kakashi froze, both out of distress and realization that he knew that voice from somewhere.

Iruka was looking up at the older man's back with wide eyes and Kakashi kept his mouth shut, half hoping that the voice was just the wind or that he'd hit his head and was delusional.

"What...?"

Kakashi finally turned slowly into view and he stared blankly at the younger man in front of him before saying softly, "hi."

Iruka couldn't move for a while. He couldn't believe what he was seeing; the one and only Kakashi Hatake caught in one of his traps.

They both stared at each other for a long while, neither of them moving. Finally, Iruka blinked out of his frozen stupor. He was hurrying over to untie the older man when Kakashi realized what he was doing.

“Wai-!”

He dropped just as he said that and smacked his head right on the rock underneath him, passing out cold just as he heard Iruka say, “oh shit.”

~X~

They were sitting by a fire together hours later, facing each other across the flames and quietly making small talk.

They hadn't seen each other in ten years but that wasn't the reason for the silence between them. Iruka could feel something was off. It wasn't in the way Kakashi spoke or acted but Iruka could see it in the way his eye shifted to avoid Iruka’s gaze. Kakashi Hatake had been many things and Iruka couldn’t remember Kakashi being shy or a coward but this new Kakashi was different. He seemed distant and withdrawn from their small exchange of words.

“So, how's your father?” Iruka asked quietly after a long debate inside himself.

It was the silence that follow that told Iruka everything he needed to know.

Under his dark hood, Kakashi had zoned out, hearing the question, and was in another world despite sitting there with his old friend. He was seeing a small, younger boy being taught how to properly hold a bow while he held his own weapon at the ready, waiting for another boy his age to charge him. He blinked away the small memory and licked his lips.

“My father passed away about a year after we left,” he said with little thought after he came back to reality and watch with a sharp pain as Iruka’s face went blank and Iruka nodded.

“Oh,” Kakashi could see how well Iruka was dealing with the news and it hurt him to realize how much Iruka had grown since the last time they’d seen each other. But he still wished they hadn't stumbled into each other.

Iruka swallowed passed the knot in his throat and the hurt he felt intensified at seeing how Kakashi’s face hadn't changed. He lowered his head for a moment before tightening his hands into fists and looking back up at the older man with an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry to hear that."

Seeing Iruka's smile, Kakashi felt his insides curl in pain and he nodded.

"A few hunters go out once or twice every few days for food even though tiny gardens in Kono make just as much as the old fields outside used to." Kakashi nodded and Iruka tried to see what was going on under that mask but he couldn't see anything.

Kakashi looked up and met heated eyes, half startled by them.

"Are you okay?" Iruka asked.

The air around them hadn't been pleasant, as if there was something slowly clawing at his breath and Iruka couldn't stand it anymore; he had to ask. He fumbled for his words a second time before going completely serious. "I mean.... Are you okay?"

There was a silence and Iruka watched as Kakashi's eyes fell back into cold retreat before Kakashi got up, saying dimly, "I don't know."

X~X

Everyone in the village had gathered to watch, eyes wide, as the famous and disastrous Sakumo Hatake and his son were officially sent out but the words 'sent out' were drawing very close to the border of banished. The tall man's face looked haunted and tired, body weary with the toll of the past few days. With just as much haunt, Kakashi stood with wide-eyes the closest to his father that he ever had in years, his right shoulder almost touching the man's hand. He was fifteen and he knew deep down that he was never going to see his home again. And he was scared.

Kakashi only looked back only once when they left to see his friends standing at the gate, watching. Guilt shot through him when he saw their accusing faces but he caught a pair of sad eyes and felt a longing that seemed like homesickness. He turned his back to all the kids who used to be his friends and a small pony-tailed boy as he and his father began their long walk.

They'd only gotten halfway across the meadow just outside Kono when Sakumo suddenly stopped. Kakashi blinked out of a trance he'd been in but refused to look at his father, cold creeping up his neck.

This is it; his father would now leave him to fend for himself and abandon Kakashi just like the boy had imagined him doing.

But cruel words never came and Kakashi only felt a warm hand on his shoulder. His father had knelt and was looking him in the eyes, face serious but empathetic.

"It's not your fault, son. I know you think it is but this wasn't something any of us could plan, okay?" Hearing those sincere words, Kakashi fell into confusion.

"But what if I hurt you? It would be best if you just left me." Sakumo's face went dark and Kakashi shivered when his father changed into the battle-worn warrior that he used to be.

"I will never leave you alone, Kakashi. I will always be at your side, even if this curse kills me." In that moment, Kakashi knew that he was looking at the strongest man in the world and he had to look away briefly so that his deep pride wouldn't show too much.

When he looked up again, he saw his father smiling at him from his full height and the man said, "Well, then; let's go find that magician, shall we?"

X~X

"We never found him and my dad died a year later," Kakashi sighed as he dropped down onto a boulder in the cliff side.

It was early the next morning and they had walked for a while before Kakashi had said anything; the night before ending abruptly and with much uncertainty.

Iruka dropped his pack, bow and quiver across from the older man, shoulders rubbed raw and feet aching from the sharp stones underfoot. But the pain his body felt was far from his mind and Iruka could only think of his friend and the man who had been that boy's father; the man who had taught him everything he knew about hunting and the man who had introduced him to an angry little boy.

Kakashi looked up to see his friend in thought and he tried to imagine how Iruka was feeling, finding out that his mentor had died and that he might be currently in danger. He had an idea what it felt like.

“You need to go,” Kakashi said as he stood. “You know, continue your hunt.”

Iruka nodded dimly. He stood but couldn’t move except turn his head to look at Kakashi with doubt. Something was stopping him. It could have been the guilt but seemed to go deeper. So, he decided.

“Actually, I was wondering if I could help,” Iruka smirked at Kakashi’s face. “It’s not like I was going home anytime soon.”

“No,” Kakashi shot up and grabbed his bag. He started to walk off but Iruka was quick to follow. “I said no.”

“You're my friend, Kakashi; this is what friends do," Iruka smiled and continued to say, “so, let’s head to Kono together; I've heard of a hermit who know a thing or two about spells and stuff.”

He trotted ahead and Kakashi fell into a standstill, caught between fear and awe.

~X~

Their conversations slowly began to get longer and more frequent. They were slowly beginning to catch up with each other and what they’d both been up to over the past ten years. Iruka told Kakashi about how he’d been chosen among a select few to go on hunts while Kakashi talked about his travels. The taller man had just come back from overseas after a long search for a mage named Gu.

“So, did you find him?” Kakashi shook his head, continuing with their slow walk back home.

“That one was a myth; a legend to scare little kids to go to bed at night.” Iruka nodded in response.  
He’d been thinking about this for a while; the curse. He was beginning to wonder how he was going to avoid getting himself killed and helping Kakashi in the process, if Jiraiya was going to help them at all, that is. In all truth, Iruka really wasn't too sure what to do or even fully comprehending the danger he was in. He knew the risk but it wasn't sinking in and he didn’t feel scared.

But there was a nagging feeling in the pit of him.

Was it a good idea to bring Kakashi to Kono? He didn't know the answer but he knew that he could trust Kakashi to try and not kill everyone including him. That and he didn’t want to leave the other man by himself again.

On the other hand, Kakashi was thinking of alone as a paradise.

Yes, Kakashi was happy to see his old friend and downright warm inside from getting to know Iruka again after all those years but he was scared of what the curse would do. He didn't let it show but he was frightened to the core. He didn't know what he would do if the curse managed to resurface and if he would be able to control it or not. If he wasn't able to handle it again, he would end up with another dead friend...or even a whole village. And the mere thought was killing him.

But Iruka seemed completely oblivious. Kakashi felt stunned. What was going on in that head?

“So...” Kakashi thought for a moment. “How’s everyone doing?”

Seeing Kakashi’s hesitation, Iruka smiled and said sincerely, “they miss you.”

“Yeah?” Head perking up, Kakashi's curiosity peeked out and Iruka tried to hold back his smirk of glee.

“Of course they do,” The younger man let himself grinned, eyes lighting in sincerity. “Why wouldn't they miss their favorite smart-ass?”

“Ugh, I couldn’t have been that bad.” Shoulders dropped and Iruka chuckled under his breath as Kakashi hesitated, “was I?”

“I can’t answer that without hurting your pride.” Iruka’s smirk was poorly hidden.

With Kakashi flushing under his mask and Iruka grinning, they kept on their way back to Kono.

~X~

They were a day away when they decided to camp for the night but Iruka woke up as soon as he heard the first crash. The sky had suddenly lit up and Iruka snapped awake, quickly sitting up to find the bedroll a few feet over was empty of its owner.

Iruka realized that morning wasn't too far off and that the darkness in the sky was from all the clouds swirling overhead. Light flashed again and he snapped his head toward where the light had been coming from.

It wasn't too far from there; barely a mile or so away.

Scrambling up, he shouldered his bow and quiver as he made his way cautiously to where the light had been. There was no doubt in Iruka’s mind why the weather was acting weird and he just hoped he wasn't walking into the wolf’s den.

He hadn't gone too far when the sky lit up again and he flinched away from nearby trees just in case, a futile effort since not only was he surrounded by trees but the lightning wasn’t coming down near him.

It turns out that it wasn't even hitting the ground; it was hitting the sky.

The lightning was lashing out from the ground on the grassy hill the figure stood on; the one Iruka stepped out onto. The light arched up and smashed into the clouds in mere milliseconds, causing a loud roar to quickly assault the air.

Iruka had to blink away the spots in his eyes from the blinding light that lit up everything. When his vision cleared, he was able to make out the figure and his heart sank when he saw a familiar head of grey hair.

About to make his way over, Iruka stopped when he saw the smoky, blue hue that surrounded Kakashi and how it seemed to melt into the air around him like steam.

Feeling courageous, Iruka took the smallest of steps forward and Kakashi suddenly snapped his head around, freezing Iruka in his tracks.

They were red; Kakashi’s eyes were completely red. Kakashi’s pupil, his steel irises and the surrounding white were swallowed up by the glowing crimson that made Iruka’s will falter.

Kakashi slowly stepped his body around, turning to face Iruka with precise, abrupt movements, and Iruka couldn’t move. Fear shot through him when he saw Kakashi start towards him and Iruka refused to let it take over him, standing firm. But the older man continued forward, steps coming faster. His hackles were up and he was ready to pounce. All Iruka could do was waver on himself, biting his lip as he felt a sense of doom sweep over him, “Kakashi...”

The red flickered. Kakashi suddenly dropped, knees hitting the ground before he fell completely forward. Steam seemed to seep off Kakashi, the blue hue seeming to melt away, and Iruka was about to step forward when the body below moved, arms shifting to push Kakashi’s front up.

Iruka stayed still, instincts telling him not to move until he caught a glance of dark eyes. The red was gone and the younger man felt confident enough to take a few steps forward before a shaky hand came up.

“Stop,” Kakashi wobbled out. He felt drained; muscles burning and eyes blurry.

He had seen it all, remembered every last detail. He could still feel the cold chill down his spine that had taken hold of him as soon as he’d woken up, making him walk against his will. He could even see the fear in Iruka’s eyes and he hated himself.

He hated that he couldn’t control it; he had thought he could but it seemed stronger than ever. He felt so weak and tired of it.

“Kill me.”

Iruka took a step back, “What?”

“Please, Iruka,” On his hands and knees, Kakashi looked so defeated and Iruka felt something inside of him break.

“Shut up.”

Those slow words made Kakashi look up. Iruka’s hands were fists and his eyes fire. “This isn't you.”

Kakashi’s eye widened and Iruka continued to say firmly, “I don’t know what happened since you left and I don’t know how much it hurt to have Rin and Obito die in front of you but this isn't you.”

The older man had fallen back to sit on his heels as he fell quiet, going over those words. It was a long while before any of them said anything and a warmth spread through Kakashi.

Finally, he slowly drew up on trembling legs, giving Iruka a soft smile behind his mask as he said fondly, “you’re right.”

“Of course I am,” Iruka felt flushed and drained and he turned away to walk back to their camp when Kakashi called out.

“Iruka.” The young man stopped and glanced back. Face completely serious, Kakashi said, “I want you to promise me, though, that you will kill me if I can’t control it.

His heart wrenched itself into a ball but Iruka forced himself to nod.

~X~

Iruka moved between the masses of people. Kono looked just as he’d left it a few days ago; no signs of battle yet. It seemed as though things were beginning to calm down, though.

There was one thing he hadn't mentioned to Kakashi yet. Kono, their home village, was fighting very hard against the villages Aud and Tsuk who were hell-bent on ravaging them to pieces. The battles had started almost three years prior when news came that Aud planned to attack Kono for their harvest and mining resources. Tsuk had joined in when their sister village commenced said attack.

Though, after three years, they were all still at war and Kono was still thriving even though everyone’s faced seemed haunted and pale and their people were confined inside Kono’s walls. The fight was draining from their faces. Many lives had been lost and Iruka hated seeing his people so distressed. It helped that he was a good hunter; it gave him an excuse to get away from all the fear and ache.

Iruka knocked a total of three times before he gave up and stepped into the healer’s home. He passed the main room after a glance, heading towards the back room where he was sure Tsunade would be hiding herself.

With quick steps, he found the familiar woman not in the back but passed out at the kitchen table. Seeing this as a bad sign, Iruka took the empty bottle from her hand and set it up right before noticing a letter in her other hand. He caught a word from the paper and snatched it from her hand, heartbeat faltering as his eyes scanned the page.

When there was nothing left to read, he could only stare at the page. And there it was written, in plain black ink. All the feeling in his body was gone. He was numb. He had to sit, head in hands, so that he wouldn't tip over and drop.

Jiraiya was dead. The letter was from a minister somewhere in the south to inform Tsunade of the mage’s abrupt death.

Now, Iruka didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how long Kakashi could wait to see someone before he couldn’t control the curse; how long before Iruka would have to...

Iruka stood and walked out, unable to sit any longer. He had to keep positive. They could always keep looking.

A sudden shock went through the ground as soon as Iruka stepped out of Tsunade’s home. There were people running too. Iruka watched some go, hoping and listening, before he heard the names Tsuk and Aud.

First thing Iruka thought of was how he’d left Kakashi in the woods outside and he hurried away from Tsunade’s to the main road. He’d been thinking that Aud and Tsuk were attacking.

And then he froze. He and the hundreds of people stared up in awe and fear at the beast that towered just inside a safe distance away.

The monster was huge, taller than any building even if it was on its four legs, and shaped with prickling edges of pure electricity. Iruka saw no traces of a human in it but he could tell it was Kakashi and he felt sick. He could tell by the blue and the grey.

It moved like a sick man, drunkenly tipping from side to side as it waded through the trees. Each step it took made the ground shake terribly and it even made the ground of Kono tremble even at its distance away. And the sound; it sounded like metal pieces grinding against each other and the highest of bird chirps. It caused skin to ripple and Iruka shivered before setting out for the main gate.

At a closer distance, Iruka could feel the licks of lightning tickling sharply on his arms and shoulders. But he pressed forward, beyond the main gates, and set out into the forest after the beast.

~X~

Iruka had been twelve. His father had died a few years ago and his mother in childbirth. So, he could kind of relate to Kakashi; only having one parent. Iruka himself probably would've turned into a jerk too if he hadn't met Kakashi when he was younger. The other boy was just downright nasty to people sometimes. Maybe he would've been a jerk even if his mom lived so he just became double the jerk.

Whatever the reason, he was a meanie sometimes but he did have a good side. He’d tell you did well or he’d give you advice if you needed it. Thankfully, those and all his other good points were what made it so that he had a nice circle of friends. There was Asuma, Genma, Kurenai, Rin, Hayate and even Gai. They used to play all the time together. Most of them were stuck at the hip and supported each other no matter what.

But something changed when Obito showed up. Maybe it was the fact that he was new or that he was simply charming but he turned into a great friend to everyone, including Kakashi. Iruka could remember they would all go out beyond the village gates to practice their tracking skills together. Sakumo would even teach them all how to fight or use tools properly when they were all together.

It was about a year later that Sakumo had started to teach Iruka privately and about the same time that the other kids had begun to hone their own craft and find apprenticeships. Iruka had been planning to become Sakumo’s apprentice when it had happened.

The boy had been trying to find the others in the forests outside the village when suddenly a bright light had lit up the sky, shooting straight out of the treeline to break through the clouds above.

Seconds later, the jet of light disappeared and Iruka remembered he’d been shaken off his feet by large rumble. He’d gotten up and slowly made his way to the source only to find a shaking Kakashi among splatters of blood.

One of the other boy’s hands had been covered in it and it had dripped down into the rest of the blood that sprinkled the ground. His eyes were wide, staring blindly at the mess of the two bodies around him. Iruka had stopped at the edge of the perfect circle of blood, stunned and confused.

He’d learned that Kakashi and Obito had started to argue and that Obito had simply laid his hand on Kakashi when suddenly the boy fell into a trance, unable to move his body. Kakashi had remembered only being able to watch as he slaughtered his two friends with the light that consumed him.

After a quick funeral for two absent bodies, Kakashi had been sent out to find a cure for this 'curse’ as they were calling and Sakumo had volunteered to go with him. All the while, Iruka had seen how their friends reacted. They had all seen the blue light but were doubtful.

But, after Kakashi had left, after Iruka felt his heart break for the first time. The village seemed to go quiet for a long time and the rest of the kids his age would often comment about it. And all of them had decided they missed the jerk.

~X~

He was only able to get a few yards away when the thing-Kakashi-suddenly stopped, falling into a stand-still. Iruka bit his lip and knocked an arrow from his quiver. He knew he could hit something vital if he aimed for those eyes.

About to bring his bow up, he moved around a few trees to get a better shot. But it felt more like delaying the inevitable. He’d been watching Kakashi, or what had been Kakashi, for that passed hour as it marched in circle. He could see how much of a threat Kakashi would be if he ever locked his eyes on Kono and Iruka hated to admit that he knew what he had to do.

So, he brought his bow up and aimed for the back of Kakashi’s head. He was slowly creeping around to get within view of the eyes when he saw their color.

They were a dark grey. They were still Kakashi’s eyes. Somewhere, deep inside that thing, Kakashi was still alive and possibly trying to fight this. Iruka then lowered his bow and his arms went slack, feeling both helpless and sick with himself. He couldn’t do it; just like he’d been expecting.

He still saw the beast towering over him as his friend even though he was scared and even though he was in danger of death. Maybe he cared a little too much.

Huffing, Iruka backtracked softly into the shadows of the trees. He watched the being of electricity for a few moments before Kakashi’s head snapped up. Iruka glanced behind him to where the beast was looking and he was able to faintly hear what sounded like battle calls.

It sounded like fighting and Iruka glanced between Kakashi and the fight, debating what to do. He decided to run for it. He had a good chance of getting a head start if the beast was going to head for the noise as well. There was also the possibility that Kakashi would ignore it but Iruka decided to go with his gut.

So, he set off at a sprint for the sound of battle, hoping Kakashi wouldn't just shrug it off and wander away.

Kakashi did not.

On all fours, the being of pure sparks caught up to Iruka as soon as the young man hit the field right outside Kono, where swords clashed and blood flowed freely.

Iruka had just dodged not only a stray arrow headed for his shoulder but a sword to his legs as well. He had rolled into a crouch when suddenly Kakashi barreled out of the treeline, voltage flying everywhere along with leaves and branches.

Crouched on the rumbling earth, Iruka watched as an arm lashed out. Bodies flew and screams echoed, one couldn’t even tell Kono from Tsuk or Aud anymore. The people on the ground simply became the prey and Kakashi the hunter.

All of a sudden, he roared, rearing his sharp head of sparks, and the sky flashed. Lightning flashed down, ramming itself into whoever was unfortunate to be underneath and into the earth but he blue and grey bolts continued to run as Kakashi continued on his rampage.

Iruka tried not to dwell on the fact that a body had landed not too far from him but he was paying attention to the colors. He didn’t see any of Kono’s customary navy uniforms yet. It could have been just luck but gave Iruka a bit of hope that maybe there was some form of awareness inside Kakashi at the moment.

With that in mind, Iruka breathed in and fell into a sprint, heading straight to what could be his death. Even as the beast of electricity was still batting people with the back of its hand, Iruka bobbed and weaved through the people who were trying to scramble away.

One bit of hope, other than the seeming humanity, was that every time Kakashi would bring down more bolts of voltage, he would diminish in size. By the time Iruka was within flicking range, Kakashi’s size had diminished to the point where he could stand on two legs again and still be as tall as Kono’s enormous trees.

This was the reason as to why Kakashi had spotted Iruka so easily, being closer to the ground. Head snapping to the left abruptly, Kakashi let loose a series of growls and Iruka slid to a stop mid-sprint. Iruka had only a moment to duck before Kakashi pounced right over him. Eyes wide, Iruka watched the beast land closer than before, crushing whoever was underneath.

The turn Kakashi made was slow, almost deliberate, and Iruka shivered as he felt the sparks of proximity dance across his skin. His heart beat fluttered from the energy that permeated the air. He had to take a step back; a step that was useless when Kakashi closed the distance between them with only two steps.

What came next was completely unexpected and Iruka blacked out almost as soon as the lightning hit him, Kakashi’s roar reverberating through the air as he hit the ground.

The air was knocked out of him, body pulsing with the voltage running through him. He was shivering madly. The light suddenly vanished, the air quiet but Iruka couldn't hear it. He could only hear buzzing and his body refused to respond to him, all his muscles and nerves burning. His whole being was confused and slowly shutting down. Legs going numb and arms shaking, Iruka struggled for air.

Seeing the tiny thing under him convulsing, Kakashi lowered his head and Iruka finally stopped trembling, body finally giving up.

And before blacking out, he was able to catch a glimpse of bright grey and red that carried him into the dark.

~X~

The air around him was warm.

Iruka woke up to smoke and singed grass.

Confused, he hurriedly patted himself over and sighed happily at not being dead yet.

It hurt to move too fast but he was able to sit up and rub his cheek in wonder. The whole meadow was empty of life and, when he stood, he saw no other movement.

Out of sheer bewilderment, Iruka stumbled away from the singed circle he’d been laying in and scanned the area.

There were a few bodies, all of them wearing either Kono or Tsuk uniforms, Iruka noticed. They were either gruesomely twisted or broken or they were scorched beyond belief. It was toe-curling and Iruka had to look away so that he wouldn't throw up.

As he trudged off he gave himself a closer inspection. He found that he had absolutely nothing on his body; not even a scratch. He should have been dead.

It was mind-boggling but he didn’t question it.

Just as he was about to wonder about the mystery of where Kakashi was, he spotted silver and slowly headed towards a figure slumped against the back of a tree. As Iruka approached, a head looked up and Kakashi said softly, “hey.”

“Hey,” Iruka nodded to the older man who was nonchalantly sitting there without a care in the world. Kakashi looked so disheveled and weak, his tunic zipped or burned in some places while his hair stood even straighter than normal on his head. It was surprising that he even had his mask still on. Eyes wide, the man looked unable to move.

Placing his hands on his hips, Iruka huffed and looked back at the damage this lazybones had done. It was kind of ridiculous that Kakashi could have done that but not entirely outrageous.

Letting a small snigger out, Iruka grinned when he came up with something and asked, “You come here often?”

“Pfff,” Kakashi let out a chuckled. “You’re weird, you know that?”

“Yeah? Well, I’m not the one who can turn into a giant ball of lightning who can zap people to death.” Iruka smirked but fell serious when Kakashi answered back.

“Well, I’m not the one who stole all that monster’s electricity.” Kakashi seemed to smile under his mask at seeing Iruka’s face. “It’s true.

“I wasn't able to control myself and I honestly thought I was going to kill you but,” Kakashi sighed, “you just...absorbed it all. As soon as it hit you, I started to be able to control myself again.”

They made eye contact and Iruka nodded in understanding.

“I don’t know how you did it.” Iruka nodded.

“Me neither..” Hearing those words, Kakashi looked away.

They both must have been thinking the same thing when Kakashi stood just as Iruka said, “we should probably go.”

“We?” Kakashi turned to the other man and furrowed his brows.

“Iruka-” He started with a sigh.

“I said I was going to help you the other day, didn’t I?” Iruka cut him off, nodding to himself. “And that’s kinda what I’m going to do. Not to mention the fact that I probably can make a difference if you can’t actually kill me.”

It took a few moments but the pained look on Kakashi’s face melted and he said, “I guess it wouldn't hurt.”

Iruka broke out into a grand smile and Kakashi flushed, saying, “You see, the problem is that I have no idea where we’d go.”

“That’s okay,” Iruka stepped next to the older man. “Neither do I.”

Kakashi fell into laughing and Iruka grinned at the man’s sparkling eyes that flickered with red, blue and grey.

**Author's Note:**

> Remember to leave a comment below, or at the [LJ post](http://kakairu-fest.livejournal.com/122246.html?mode=reply#add_comment)!


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